Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) Trust A Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust, or QTIP Trust, is a type of irrevocable trust. It allows you to provide for your surviving spouse while still providing for secondary beneficiaries, such as children from a previous relationship. In this article, we will go over the basics of how [...]
Transferring Accounts at Death Transferring accounts at death can be accomplished a few different ways. The first is to name a living trust as the owner of the account. The second is to use a POD or TOD designation. POD stands for payable on death, this is typically used to transfer bank accounts to [...]
Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples When you are in an unmarried relationship there are extra steps you need to take to protect each other. You are not automatically set up as each other’s beneficiaries. Additionally, you would have no rights if a probate was involved. In this article, we will go over the basics [...]
Spendthrift Trust A spendthrift trust protects your assets from being wasted by a beneficiary who is a reckless spender. This type of trust lets you distribute assets to your beneficiaries under specific conditions. In this article, we will go over the basics of how a spendthrift trust works. People Involved There are three sets [...]
Domestic Asset Protection Trusts Domestic Asset Protection Trusts, or DAPTs, are a type of irrevocable trust. They can be helpful estate planning tools and potentially provide protection from creditors. In this article, we will go over the basics of DAPTs. Set Up Only 17 states currently allow Domestic Asset Protection Trusts. These include Alaska, [...]
Qualified Domestic Trust (QDOT) A Qualified Domestic Trust, or QDOT, is a special type of trust that you can use for estate tax planning. In this article, we will go over what a Qualified Domestic Trust is and how it works. Marital Deduction Under IRS Section 2056A the surviving spouse is eligible to deduct [...]
Estate Planning for Blended Families Blended families occur when people with children from previous relationships enter a relationship and start a new family unit. Sometimes this even includes children that result from the new relationship. Estate planning can be complicated in these situations. In this article, we will go over some of the basics [...]
Preparing for Your Estate Planning Appointment When preparing for your estate planning appointment you may not be sure what to expect. It can feel overwhelming, but with the right information you will find it is pretty simple to prepare. In this article, we will go over the basic information you need when preparing for [...]
Uses of an Irrevocable Trust An irrevocable trust is a type of trust that you cannot change once it has been created. They can be expensive and complex, but they do have special estate planning provisions. In this article, we will go over 3 uses of an irrevocable trust. Qualify for Medicaid Medicaid is [...]
7 Estate Planning Misconceptions Estate planning can be complicated. There are many estate planning misconceptions that make it seem even more complex. In this article, we will clear up 7 estate planning misconceptions. 1. If You Die Without a Will, the State Gets Your Assets One of the common estate planning misconceptions is that [...]
